


Patience & Pressure

by EttaDreamfeather



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Swapfell, Gen, Origin Story, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-22
Updated: 2016-05-22
Packaged: 2018-06-09 23:45:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6929257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EttaDreamfeather/pseuds/EttaDreamfeather
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Life doesn't always go how we think it will and people aren't always who you thought they were. Sans learns this lesson the hard way, growing up in a world that's not what he expected or wanted. Sometimes you have to break to find your place in the world. Sometimes you have to break the world to make it what you want.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Patience & Pressure

Today is the bestest day _ever_! Well, besides the day Pappy let him have _ice cream_. That was _really_ hard to beat! But it was almost better and that’s what mattered most!

Pappy said he got enough to get them a _TV_. Sans isn’t entirely sure what that is but he knows it has something to do with things to watch and he knows the other kids in school talk about it sometimes.

He’s not sure why it’s important but Pappy smiled real big when he was telling him so it must be something really cool. Anything that makes Pappy so happy is important to Sans as well!

Pappy’s fingers are warm in his hand and he squeezes them, smiling wider and kicking his legs out more in each step.

“ _And_ Mrs. Mogall said my drawing was the best in the class, and then she told me during recess I’m really far ahead in my math homework! She thinks I should start studying math from next year! _Me_!”

Pappy chuckles and his free hand pats at his head, it’s so silly because he has to twist his body to do it and he looks so funny!

“I keep telling you you’re really amazing, Sans. You never seem to listen even though I constantly say-”

“-that I’m the most amazing and smart and wooooonderful little brother, I know, I know!” Sans huffs at him, putting his other hand on his hip and giving his brother an exasperated look. “But you always say that! I’m your brother, of course you say it! It’s, like, suuuuuper nice to have someone as cool as Mrs. Mogall say it!”

Pappy knocks his knuckles against his skull, grinning wide.

“Why, that’s hurtful to hear, Sans! You prefer hearing someone else say it than your awesome big bro? I’ll have you know I bet you could be the best at anything you put your mind to. Why, you could even be Royal Scientist one day!”

His eyelights get real big at the praise, gasping slightly and tugging at Pappy’s hand more.

“You really think so!? Me? Royal Scientist!? You think I’d be good enough for that!?”

“Are you kidding me, bro? You’d be, like, the most amazing scientist. You’d get us all out of here no worries. I mean, the crap you love to tell me that you learned from your books? Waaaay over my head!”

Disapproval must be all over his face because Pappy laughs and rubs the back of his skull, swaying their joined hands and pulling him along as he walks faster.

“Not that I don’t like it when you tell me that stuff. It’s actually really cool to hear, even if this numbskull doesn’t remember it afterwards. Stuff like that tends to-”

“Don’t you say it!”

“-go _right through me_ ,” he ends with a wide smile.

Sans groans and pulls his hand away, batting it at Pappy’s side to scold him for the most horrible, awful, _terrible_ joke he’s ever heard.

“I can’t believe you like that kind of thing! It’s so ridiculous, Pappy!”

“Aw but bro how can you not like them? They’re simply rib-tickling!”

“Oooohhh…!! I’ll show you rib-tickling!” he cries, butting his head against Pappy’s side as he grabs for his ribs to give him a seriously-deserved tickle.

“Oh nooo! Nooo bro, not the rib-tickling! Not the tickling, I can’t handle it!” Pappy cries, grabbing for his hands and struggling to keep them away.

Sans cackles and tugs them away whenever they’re grabbed, fighting for new spots to tickle his silly brother through the hoodie he always wears. He’ll show Pappy what happens when you make awful jokes around the great Sans!

Pappy gives up trying to grab him, probably accepting Sans is far too great and awesome to be held by such a thing, and his hands playfully shove at him.

Two can play at that game though! Sans lets himself be shoved back, using his foot to push off back towards the joke-telling skeleton, catching him off guard and tackling him to the ground.

They roll across the hard bricks on the road, Sans finally pinning him down so he can further punish him with the tickles he so rightfully deserves.

“Ahh… hahaha! B-bro, bro! O-okay, okay! I-I, haha, give up! I-I sw-swear I’ll… I’ll lay off the jo-hohokes for an hour!”

Sans pauses and eyes him, evaluating the statement and the grin on Pappy’s face. …He highly doubts his big brother can manage to stop joking for a whole hour but if he _swears_ it…

“Okay, okay…” he pouts, letting up on him.

Pappy struggles to get himself under control again as Sans gets off him and stands up, holding out a hand to help him up. As soon as it’s taken he tugs and pulls his brother up.

Sans fidgets and rubs at his arm, watching his brother slowly straighten himself and stop chuckling every few seconds.

“What’s with that look, bro?” Pappy asks, immediately taking notice.

“Well, I mean… do you really think I’d be any good as a scientist?” he asks hesitantly, shifting on his feet uncomfortably. He doesn’t like being insecure, doesn’t like the sickly feelings that make his bones ache, but sometimes he can’t help it.

The easygoing look on his brother’s face disappears immediately, sharp eyes look him over quickly and make him feel even more nervous.

“Bro…” Pappy says slowly, drawing the word out as though he’s thinking about what he wants to say, “you know I mean it when I say you’re smart. You know a lot of things I don’t think a lot of adults do. Seriously. Your teacher’s right and I know you’re gonna do somethin’ really special when you get older.”

The praise is warming, he can’t help but smile as his brother slings an arm around his shoulders and pulls him against his side. The smile breaks into a scowl as his fingers try to tickle at his scapula, wiggling and trying to get away.

“Pappy! Be serious!”

He’s pressed tighter against Pappy’s side and a soft chuckle rumbles through the ribs against his cheek.

“Okay, okay, bro. I’m serious. You’re gonna be great. You’re gonna be the Royal Scientist and I’m gonna be Captain of the Guard. And we’re gonna make the Underground the best it’s ever been, yeah?”

Sans digs his fingers into his brother’s pelvis, feeling the ratty pants digging into the bone, and tries to maneuver his brother into walking forward.

“The best _ever_! We’ll make everything better and uphold the law, and I’ll make things to improve everyone’s lives and get us out of here!”

Pappy gets the message from his pushing and starts walking, pulling him along by his shoulders and nearly knocking him off balance. The grin on his face tells Sans he knows exactly what he’s doing and he’ll pay him back later!

“Yup, you’ll be makin’ all kinds of weird crap in that lab. I’ll be out catchin’ bad guys and stopping any human from comin’ in here-”

“You’ll be a _hero_!” Sans chimes in, pouting when Pappy knocks his knuckles against the back of his skull for his interruption.

“-yeah, a hero, just like you’ll be. But in the meantime we gotta get ourselves home. We don’t want to miss the TV delivery, do we?”

“No, that’d be baaaad!” he agrees with a nod. If they aren’t there someone might try to take it and that’s the last thing they want!

“So we gotta get goin’, yeah? Hey, I got an idea. First one there gets to relax while the other has to set it up!”

“Wait, what?”

There’s no time to react as his brother grips the fabric of his shirt, spinning him around. Sans yelps and flails, getting himself reoriented back around.

Ooooh that Pappy! He’s already ahead, what a cheater!

“That’s no fair!” he cries after him, pushing himself into a run to catch up with his sneaky brother. “And I don’t know how to set up a TV!”

Pappy laughs and glances over his shoulder, “That’s fine, you’ll learn by lookin’ at the manual!”

He rounds a corner and Sans grinds his teeth, pushing himself harder to run faster and catch up with him. Around the corner and he’ll be up with him soon and show him-

Sans grunts as his pelvis hits the ground hard, the world spins around him and he struggles to focus his eyelights.

“The hell do you think you’re doin’, punk!?” a voice snarls above him.

He rubs a hand against his head and looks up from where he’s sitting on the ground. A dog is glaring down at him, eyes narrowed and lips pulled back to show off large and sharp teeth.

Oh no.

“I-I’m so sorry!” he gasps, scrambling to get up. He takes a few steps back, putting some distance between them, because this dog seems… scary.

“You’re sorry? You’re _sorry_!? Like that makes runnin’ into me any better!?” the words are a torrent, loud and terrifying. The dog steps towards him, puffing out his chest and straightening his back to stand taller.

Sans frowns up at him and begins to shift his feet, edging around him as slowly as possible. He just has to get around him and then he’ll be closer to Pappy and Pappy can show him why you don’t mess with them!

“I don’t know what else you expect from me, I said I was sorry! I didn’t mean to run into you, so I’m sorry.”

His apology just doesn’t seem to be working as the dog takes another threatening step closer, lips curling back further and teeth glinting in the glow of the streetlights.

“ _No one_ runs into me, pal,” he growls, the words a rumble Sans struggles to understand, “the last person to do so without properly apologizing for it didn’t last very long.”

A proper apology? That’s exactly what he just did!

Sans huffs and tries to peek around him. Pappy will be back here any second and then he’ll teach this guy a lesson, he’s incredibly rude!

“What do you want me to do then?” he asks, accepting the big bully wasn’t going to let him past because he simply refuses to let him slide around him!

There’s a pause and something in the air shifts. It makes him uncomfortable, the way the dog’s eyes focus on him as if really seeing him.

“What do I want you to do? Oh, kid, you don’t know anything do you? I want you to get down on your knees and _apologize_. Get down and lick my boots and _maybe_ I’ll let you continue on your way.”

Disgust wells up in his soul and his hands clench tight, bone scratching hard against bone. He clenches his teeth. Unclenches them.

“How dare you! I already gave you your apology! I’m not going to grovel like some worm!” he snaps up at him, straightening his spine to show his resolve. “You’re going to regret being so rude, mister, my brother’s going to teach you a lesson in manners!”

A weird sound fills the air and it takes him a second to realize it’s the dog laughing. It sounds like when he accidentally scratches the chalkboard and it sets his bones on edge.

“Your _brother_? You mean that other skeleton? You think he’s gonna _teach me a lesson_?”

Something in the words makes him sick. Where was Pappy? He hadn’t been that far behind. He should have been here already. Should have shouted at the dog and drug Sans away.

“I’m gonna teach you a lesson, kid.”

He yelps as he’s lifted into the air, claws digging into his shirt and pressing hard against his C4 and C5.

“You see, nobody cares about the weaklings here. No one _protects_ them. A runt like you… _nobody’s_ gonna save you.”

He’s wrong he’s wrong he’s wrong Pappy’s just delayed someone stopped him he’s right behind him ready to beat him for daring to touch and say such awful things to Sans-

“And that brother of yours? I could _smell_ the fear on him. Don’t you get it? He _left_ you.”

Everything stops. The dog’s mouth keeps moving but he can’t understand any of it. He can see behind his shoulder.

The road’s empty. No one’s there.

That doesn’t make sense. Where is Pappy? Where is his brother?

Pappy was just here it doesn’t make sense Pappy would never leave him he’d never leave him with someone like this they were just racing and where was he?

Something moves in front of him and-

_painpainpainpainpain_

_it burns it hurts it hurts why is it hurting so much_

His fingers twitch useless in front of him, grasping at the ground. His eyesocket burns and the whole world is shifting and twisting.

Something’s pressing on his ribs and there’s creaking. A crack. Someone’s screaming and _why can’t he see properly_ -

Everything spins and whirls, red eyes glowing above him and claws are pressing at his sternum. More cracks. Crack crack crack Pappy why are you making popcorn we’re supposed to be going home.

Bones rattle and his entire body shakes and spasms, the ground grinds against his bones and pain lances through him

white light is glowing and the red eyes are bigger, closer, closer, closer

his body hurts

everything hurts

a white heart flutters in the air

there’s a deafening mechanical roar

 

black, sharp horns, gaping maw and teeth

 

eyes

 

“Are

 

you

 

alright?”

 

…

 

Pappy…

 

…

 

“-ribs… put back…”

“-soul damaged… hp dropped…”

“Hurry it… save him!”

“Thank you… wouldn’t know… without… Captain Gaster…”

“What will… with…?”

“-choice… a home… family arrives…”

…

 

_Pappy..._

 

…

 

Things hurt. His bones are aching all over. His chest twinges and creaks as he takes in a breath.

Sharp pain.

He gasps, pain burns hard through his ribs. His eyes fly open and a hand is pressed to his clavicle, holding him down from getting up.

“W-wha-wha…”

“Calm. Careful. Do not move too much, you will hurt yourself,” says a soft voice.

Sans flicks his eyelight to the side. There’s a man sitting in a chair, a skeleton like him.

A skeleton he knows.

He gasps again, ignoring the pain lancing through him. “Y-you’re C- _captain Gaster_!”

The man’s mouth twitches into a smile, an amused expression crossing his face.

“Why yes, that would be me. Captain Gaster.”

Oh golly. Stars. Captain Gaster. Captain Gaster is here. Oh Pappy will be so excited! He’s always wanted to meet the Captain and now he’ll be able to!

He looks around, searching for his brother so he can call him over-

white walls.

Their house doesn’t have white walls. Neither of them like the oppressive feeling of all-white walls so they’ve painted them brown or a blue or-

_Why are the walls white._

“It’s okay. Please, relax. Breathe. You’re safe, this is the hospital.”

The soothing voice calms him, his bones relax against his will. Sans can’t understand. A hospital? Why is he in a hospital?

He just got off from school. He and Pappy were going home. They were racing and… and…

His hand comes up, bone pressing against soft cloth over his eyesocket. Twitches of pain creep from the bone and spread out through the rest of his skull.

“Th-the dog…” he whimpers, tears pooling in his eye and clouding his vision.

The Captain’s face falls, his mouth dropping into a grimace.

“Yes, the dog. He… I am sorry. He was an escaped monster and I did not track him down in time.”

An… an escaped monster…? There were more of those frequently… They killed other monsters to get stronger regardless of law or morals and-

“Pa-pappy!” he hiccups, rubbing his hand against his eyesocket to brush away the tears as fear gnaws on his bones. “D-did- did you see another skeleton!? W-was there someone else!?”

There’s a long moment of silence as he works to clean his face as best as he can, ignoring the pain that bites and gnaws on his ribs and his eyesocket. He’s sure that the Captain won’t be responding until-

“I’m afraid there was no one else there. There was only you.”

It crushes. It grinds. It _hurts_.

“O-oh…” he whispers, hands gripping the sheets and staring at the white fabric under his bones. Almost the same color.

“Was someone else there?” there’s a worry in the Captain’s voice as he speaks, an urgency. “Should I send the Guards to find them? Did the dog hurt them?”

Sans raises his eyelight to stare at him, opening and closing his mouth a few times. What does he say? What will the Captain do? How do you…

_Pappy running ahead of him. Pappy running around the corner. Pappy missing from the road._

…No! He can’t… he can’t believe that! Pappy must have gone ahead! Maybe he went to get someone to help! He wouldn’t leave him!

He _wouldn’t_!

His brother would _never_ leave him!

“M-my… my brother…” he settles on saying, swallowing back the words that want to tumble out. “H-he was ahead of me and… and I-I don’t know where he went.”

The Captain’s face shifts into stone, his jaw clenched tight as he nods. “I will send out my best men to search the area. I didn’t see anyone around when I rescued you but… perhaps they will be able to find something.”

The man stands and nods, his hand coming up to rest on his chest. He bows to him, something that sets Sans’ bones on fire because this was _Captain Gaster_! Bowing to him!? Who would believe that!?

“I am sorry for not getting there in time to protect you,” the man says.

Sans wants to wave his hands, deny the words, tell him that it’s okay because he saved him and that’s what’s important, he protected him and got rid of the bad guy… The words wouldn’t come. He couldn’t bring himself to react besides nodding.

The Captain straightens and walks out, back straight and movement rigid yet flowing. Just like how he would expect the Captain to walk.

He stares after him, feeling more tears burn at his eye. His hand rubs at the patch over the pained socket.

_I am sorry for not getting there in time to protect you._

Pappy….

Shuffles sound from behind the door and a doctor walks into the room, holding a clipboard. He barely notices or pays attention. Thinks maybe it’s a lizard or maybe it’s a rabbit.

They’re talking but he doesn’t really pay attention to most of it.

Something about his soul. About his HP. About spending the night here recovering before sending him to a home. Releasing him to his family when they arrive for him. If they arrive for him.

He doesn’t care, fingers kneading and pulling and twisting at the sheets.

Eventually the doctor gives up trying to talk to him and leaves.

Sans thinks of smiles. Of silly jokes and running home.

Hey Pappy, what do you say about the skeleton whose brother is missing?

…

He’s bonely.

…

…Where are you…?

**Author's Note:**

> Gotta start somewhere. It's Swapfell, yo, of course the good times couldn't last forever.
> 
> And yup, I do love the idea of Captain Gaster in Underswap, so of course he's Captain in Swapfell!


End file.
